LONDON, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Captain John McGinn fired Aston Villa to their first victory of the season as they edged past Bologna 1-0 in an anxious Europa League opener.

Unai Emery's men produced a labored display against limited opposition, doing little to ease concerns over their sluggish start to the campaign. McGinn's 13th-minute strike from the edge of the area - his second goal against Bologna after scoring in last year's Champions League - ultimately proved decisive.

Villa, however, failed to build on their lead. Ollie Watkins saw a second-half penalty saved by Lukasz Skorupski, who also denied chances for Evann Guessand and Donyell Malen.

The visitors grew in confidence, with Federico Bernardeschi forcing Marco Bizot into action before Santiago Castro rattled the bar. Bologna almost snatched a dramatic equalizer late on, only for Bizot to tip Martin Vitik's header away. ■